Searle and Taylor's Top Kitchen Trends
Searle and Taylor Kitchens, Winchester
If this month’s kitchen newsletter left you wanting more, Darren Taylor has you covered. Darren brings a wealth of experience and perspective that is truly his own, and we always enjoy working with him and his team. Having seen numerous Searle and Taylor kitchens firsthand, we can say with confidence that the results really do speak for themselves, beautifully photographed here by Paul Craig. We hope you enjoy reading this one as much as we did, here are Darren’s top 8 trending kitchen features:
Boiling water taps
“We always start the design process with a client brief, asking potential clients what they want and invariably, a boiling water tap is high on the list because it is energy and water efficient. With an increasing number of requests for breakfast stations and home bars, or bantries within a scheme, we may include a boiling water tap with a second sink behind cabinet doors, and then either feature another boiling water tap with the main sink, or a larger twin lever tap, dependent on the style of the kitchen.”
Fluted materials
“This trend is very strong this year, with clients requesting backlit tall or overhead display cabinets with fluted glass fronts, blond wood furniture with fluted elements to emulate an on-trend Scandi look, and for fluted timber fronts on kitchen islands and home bars. This timeless and elegant style will not go out of fashion anytime soon.”
Appliance garages/ Breakfast stations
“Always set apart from the main cooking area, a tea, coffee or breakfast station is where you can make hot drinks throughout the day without interrupting the primary cook. This is also known as an appliance garage where smaller toasters and coffee machines are kept out of sight behind pocket doors, which open fully into side recesses when required. Where possible we like to include a second small sink and a boiling water tap, or a built-in combination microwave, for ultimate ease of use.”
Home bars and bantries
“We have seen a 35% increase in requests to design and make bespoke home bars, either for an open plan living space that includes the kitchen, or in a separate dining room. Often a similar design to a standalone pantry, a home bar - or ‘bantry’, can include a wine fridge within the cabinetry, open shelving to house bottles and glasses and, if there is access to drainage, a small prep sink with a boiling water tap plus a separate integrated 45cm dishwasher will complete the cabinet’s functionality.”
Boot rooms
“As a Hampshire-based business, we design numerous bespoke kitchens in country homes, where we are often asked to also design and make painted Shaker boot rooms. We like to mix traditional aesthetics with contemporary functionality and, with designs often featuring cupboards for hats and scarves, hanging pegs and bench seating for removing muddy items, and even a home for a robot vacuum to be concealed in the plinth.”
Utility rooms
“With more homeowners opting to improve rather than move, a utility room is now a must-have. Even as the most functional room in the home, a utility room can still be beautiful and can either reflect the look of the kitchen or be in a different bold colour. Either as part of an extended layout, or a converted garage space, the utility room can include a ‘dirty’ sink and tap, a dog shower, a laundry area with folding or hanging space, a freestanding washing machine and tumble dryer and cabinetry to conceal cleaning items and, usually, the boiler. Additional cabinetry can also hide Wi-Fi routers or even a server for the home.”
Camouflage
“The current trend for a camouflaged kitchen aesthetic means that clients are requesting that their cooking appliances are hidden from the main view in an open plan area. This allows for the entire room to seem more holistic instead of a compartmentalised kitchen and living space separated by the island.”
Kitchen Islands
“If there is enough room within the overall kitchen space then a kitchen island is a must-have. Vital for additional storage, for informal seating and to house undercounter appliances, like wine fridges, we are also noting more requests for ovens to be included on the task side to conceal them from immediate view in an open plan space. We recommend that an induction or vented hob is flush-mounted within the worktop so that the primary cook can see out to the room. We also suggest that there should be 1200mm of walkway space around an island to account for when cabinet or dishwasher doors are opened fully.”
If you are feeling inspired you’d like to explore options for your kitchen, from an update in furnishings through to a full renovation, I’m ready and waiting to hear your ideas. Get in touch today
If you would like to read more about kitchen design you can find our newsletter here, or read Alice from Herbert Williams blog all about kitchen renovation considerations here.
Credits
Design and furniture - Searle and Taylor
Photography - Paul Craig